$100k salary, packing up from Riverside

change
San Luis Obispo, CA cityscape

instead of riverside

San Luis Obispo

ca · metro 282k

photo: Juan Montes / pexels

a dispatch from

san luis obispo

CA

35.28°N

120.66°W

San Luis Obispo (SLO to locals) sits halfway between LA and San Francisco on the central coast, with Cal Poly students, gorgeous wine country (Edna Valley and Paso Robles nearby), and a Thursday night farmers market that takes over downtown. It's been called the happiest city in America (multiple studies, Oprah included), and the vibe really does back that up. Bubblegum Alley is exactly what it sounds like. Mellow and beautiful.

metro282k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$602

the monthly cost of moving past Riverside

You'd pay for San Luis Obispo. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
landable, recorded on the san luis obispo entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,095/mo

24% more expensive than Riverside(vs $2,493/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

vs 9.3% in Riverside

03after rent

$4,463/mo

$602 less than Riverside

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$934k

57% more expensive than Riverside

vs $595k in Riverside

05metro size

282k

vs 4.7M in Riverside

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

303

pleasant days a year, in san luis obispo.

Riverside keeps to 249 pleasant days a year.

1.7× the events of Riverside, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

1% lower than Riverside

vs 69/100 in Riverside

Closest outdoor draw: Montaña de Oro State Park, 6.7 mi.

·walk score®

98/100

7% higher than Riverside

vs 92/100 in Riverside

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

79% fewer than Riverside

vs 14 nonstops in Riverside

04 · see also

same energy as san luis obispo, different zip code:

see also

oxnard

$100/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$111/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

naples

$1,151/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san luis obispo with:

OxnardHonoluluNaples